Debbie’s Blog

I am putting together a tour to vietnam for the chefs amongst us , wondering how many of you ladies out there would be interested ! .  The morning glory restaurant is run by miss vy and is a culinary delight , situated in old hoi an , you would not be disspointed .  She runs a cookery school based on street food , her mother and grandmothers recipes , a renowned chef through out vietnam .  We could do a programme based on going early to the market to pick up the local produce as she explains the ying and yang of the food, also the medicinal qualities of the herbs that vietnamese use throughout their cooking.  Vietnam cooking is the mixture of sweet , sour, texture , balance , herbs and passion …..come join me ladies ?  we will cook our own lunch, learn how to cook things like banana flower salad, three friends spring rolls….

It seems I havent been able to get a signal …I am in the most wonderful of places within vietnam….hoi an ! .  So old , quaint and the surrounding areas are stunningly beautiful .  The food is also the best in the land , aside from Saigon (ho chi minh city ).  We all took a bicycle ride in the country it is the most amazing experience , locals going about their business ,  I was coming up the rear end so to speak , when all of a sudden I heard a scream , in front of me one of the ladies had fallen headlong into the bushes, it could have been more serious , but thank heaven it wasnt , to be honest it was hard not to laugh, all was hurt was her pride. !! ..Stretcher party to the scene (thats me ) some Iodine and a plaster did the trick , all was well. Its very hard not to be moved by the Vietnamese people, all my guides have a tale to tell,  and communism and the war has effected them all in some way.  From being so poor , sharing shoes with your sister  for school, your father being sent to a correction centres and not seeing them for years on end and they return broken men , many were sent by their parents to the country to work the land to avoid communism .  Hoi an was bombarded by artilery from the Viet cong , many people died and suffered injuries .  We dont know the half of the situation .  And I count my blessings I grew up without fear , or hatred in my heart .

OOPS ! ….THE GUIDE SLIPPED UP ,  HE DIDNT REALISE THAT WE COULDNT VIEW HO CHI MINH TODAY AS THEY DECIDED TO CLOSE FOR TWO DAYS OF THE WEEK NOW, INSTEAD OF ONE…..NOT TO WORRY ,  AFTER THE CYCLO EXPERIENCE AROUND THE OLD FRENCH QUARTER , WHICH IS ONE NOT TO BE MISSED I THINK THE CLIENTS HAVENT GIVEN IT TOO MUCH OF A THOUGHT….AND QUITE HONESTLY ARE TIRED OUT ….UP AND OUT TOMMOROW TO HALONG BAY , ONE OF THE WONDERS OF THE WORLD, IM NOT GOING TO SAY 8TH , BECAUSE EVERY WHERE YOU GO IN THE WORLD , SOMETHING ALWAYS IS AN 8TH WONDER……BUT IT IS TRULY AN AMAZING EXPERIENCE TO CRUISE IN AND AMONG THE HUGE LIMESTONE PILLARS THAT JUT OUT OF THE CLEAR GULF OF TONKIN .  A BEAUTIFUL SEAFOOD LUNCH ON BOARD WHILST WE CRUISE , AND LOL ABOUT ON THE TOP DECK IN WONDERMENT OF THE WHOLE THING….LOCAL PEOPLE COME TO TRY AND SELL THINGS ALONGSIDE THE VESSEL,  WE PASS OUR MONEY, AND THEY SAIL AWAY WITHOUT GIVING US WHAT WE WERE PAYING FOR….GOTCHA !  THEY USE THE CHILDREN TO EXPLOIT WESTERNERS AS THEY ARE SO PHOTOGENIC, AND WE ARE LULLED INTO A SENSE OF SECURITY …AND THEN  THE STING COMES…A SHAME , BUT HEY WELCOME TO THE REAL WORLD ….

Hi from Hanoi,

After a long and tedious journey , what seemed around the woods and trees , we eventually arrived here in Hanoi….

We had all been travelling for around about 24 hours , so all done in ! . Though it is surprising what a shower and dinner can do , and we seemed to revive a little slightly.  Its good to be back in the Far East once again , the smells the vibe of the place .. I do love it so much.

This morning we are all off on a mission ! a visit to Uncle Ho , to see the man himself lying in sate, my guide said sometimes when there is a technical difficulty they swap the body for a  wax one, I wonder what the technical difficulty  could possibly be ?? I mean he is just lying there, as we all shuffle around him, not much technical difficulty in that one would have thought ! I will have to warn the clients not to speak or whisper the guards get funny , and we could all end up in the Hanoi Hilton….oh my !

Onward we go with the Adventure !